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Every story has already been told. Once you’ve read Anna Karenina, Bleak House, The Sound and the Fury, To Kill a Mockingbird, and A Wrinkle in Time, you understand that there is really no reason to ever write another novel. Except that each writer brings to the table, if she will let herself, something that no one else in the history of time has ever had.

This quote from bestselling author Anna Quindlen came to mind as I pondered this week’s Writing 201 workshop on finding your angle. In this workshop, we ask participants to consider how best to tell their stories and approach their posts. The most memorable writers put their own spins on a topic, using their experiences to shape their stories.

In a way, this lesson on finding your story angle reminds me of a post in our Daily…

Yesterday, a Boeing 777 airliner belonging to Malaysian Airlines fell from the sky over the war zone that is Southeastern Ukraine, killing all 298 souls on board. This was not an accident, rather the huge jet was shot down, very likely by a 9K37 Buk (SA-11 to NATO) mobile surface-to-air missile system. Based on current reports, U.S. intelligence believes that the kill shot came from Russian-backed militias in the Donetsk area, inside the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, which seems likely based on signals intelligence (SIGINT) intercepts made public by Ukraine’s Security Service, as well as the suspicious conduct of militia leaders themselves, who are controlled by Russian military intelligence. For Putin’s Kremlin, this is a public relations nightmare that will be impossible to evade. For Russian foreign policy, this is a genuine disaster, coming after a long string of victories in the Kremlin’s Special War in Ukraine. The…

The European Commission agreed today a package of support identifying a number of concrete measures to assist economically and financially Ukraine. These measures should be seen as the Commission’s contribution to a European and international effort to support Ukraine’s economic and political reforms, and will be presented to the EU Heads of State and Government ahead of their extraordinary meeting on Thursday 5 March.

«The most immediate priority for the EU is to contribute to a peaceful solution to the current crisis, in full respect of international law», said President Barroso. «In parallel, the international community should mobilise to help Ukraine stabilise its economic and financial situation. The European Commission is proposing today a package designed to assist a committed, inclusive and reforms oriented Government in rebuilding a stable and prosperous future for Ukraine. What we propose could bring overall support of at least €11 billion over the next couple of years from the EU budget and EU-based international financial institutions.»

The package of support to Ukraine sets out the main concrete measures that the Commission is proposing for the short and medium term to help stabilise the economic and financial situation in Ukraine, assist with the transition and encourage political and economic reform.

This engagement constitutes both a response to help stabilise the country as well as to support the reform programme and further enhance ownership of the Ukrainian authorities. While some of these measures can be carried out quickly, others will require further planning and preparation. For many of them, the urgent and active support of the Council and European Parliament are necessary.

Underpinning this approach is the ambition to help Ukraine fulfil the aspirations which have been clearly demonstrated by citizens and civil society in recent weeks in the unprecedented events in Kiev and throughout the country.

Key elements of the package agreed today:

• €3 billion from the EU budget in the coming years, €1.6 billion in macro financial assistance loans (MFA) and an assistance package of grants of €1.4 billion;

• Up to €8 billion from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development;